This fast-moving :30 is introduced by a brown-paper-bag puppet—kind of a new-millennium version of the "unknown comic" from The Gong Show. Standing in front of a red curtain on the mini-stage, the bag man sports bushy hair and painted-on glasses. "Wherehouse Music wants to give you the most money for your used CDs!" he declares, adding peevishly, "So they gave us 50 bucks to make this commercial."
The curtain opens to reveal just what 50 bucks pays for: the bare-bones set of a Wherehouse store in which a customer confronts a sales clerk. Both characters are brown-bag puppets. Long blonde hair—yellow-yarn—identifies the clerk as female.
"I need some money for an operation, and I heard Wherehouse Music pays more than anyone else for used CDs!" the male customer states urgently.
"That’s right, we do," responds the clerk—"What’s that?!"
A shot of the customer shows us "that": a blood red something protrudes from his belly and is leaking all over the place.
"Looks like my lower intestine," answers the blood-soaked bag. "That can’t be good." Though he fights to remain standing, he ultimately succumbs. Collapsing to the floor he falters, "I think I see the light!"
Behind him appears a white paper bag with a halo. It quickly floats heavenward, revealing the fate of our customer—who seems to have been desperately in need of that unpaid-for operation.
A large, imposing, brown-bag puppet enters the scene. Clearly the Wherehouse manager, he looks down on the baggy corpse and instantly bellows out a command: "Clean up, aisle six! Bring the mop."
The stage curtains close briskly as our emcee/ spokesperson reappears. "If you’re getting rid of it, why not get more for it?" he demands. "Get more for your used CDs at Wherehouse Music—where the buzz begins." Two paper-plate signs above the spokesbag impart virtually the same message, as the spot abruptly closes.
This offbeat, dark-humored, intentionally amateurish-looking ad, titled "Operation," is one of three brown-bag puppet spots in a Wherehouse campaign directed by Alexander von David of Santa Monica-based Blind Spot Media for agency Colby & Partners, Santa Monica.
The creative ensemble at Colby & Partners included president/executive creative director Rick Colby, art director Jim Root, copywriters Jason Sperling and Craig Lederman, and producer Yuko Ogata.
Steve Johnson executive produced for Blind Spot Media. The campaign was shot by DP Peter Warrilow.
Editors were Erik Tomakin and freelancer Mark Imgrund. Tomakin is a creative assistant/junior copywriter at Colby & Partners. Online editor was Jeff Skinner of Harley’s House, Santa Monica, with Michael Raimondi in the shop capacity of executive producer. Colorist was Chris Devlin of Post Logic, Santa Monica, backed by producer Barbara Bowen. (The Hollywood-headquartered Post Logic Studios recently changed the name of its Santa Monica-based spot visual effects/post boutique to Creo; SHOOT, 9/14, p. 12.) Paul Hurtubise and Nicole Slovinsky of Brian Boyd Productions, Los Angeles, served as audio engineer/mixer and studio manager, respectively.
